Jeff Thomason, Group 7

The reading had to do with the rise of political parties. Despite "Revolution era Americans" argueing that political parties were "dangerous to the commonwealth" and "anti-republican," Martin Van Buren still formed the first nationwide political party: Jacksonian Democrats. Do you think political parties could have been avoided, or do you agree with Van Buren and political parties are "inseperable from free government"?

With the rise of political parties came new political debates and heated presidential races. Basically any middle-class man could now get into politics and hold high office positions. When European visitors came to the United States they were often disgusted with our politicians. One French aristocrat said "the most able men in the United States are very rarely placed at head of affairs." Do you think this is true? Many politicians at this time seemed to have selfish goals and actions, but the whole country was being united and now almost any man could become a politician if he wanted. Was this a good or bad thing?

The presidential elections seemed odd to me at this time. Before each election, the opposition seemed to try and trick the president into doing something that would ruin their hopes for re-election. For example, the Jacksonians took control of Congress in 1826 and wanted higher tariffs on imported raw materials in order to win support of farmers for the presidential race in 1826. It also led to Adams' fall. It wasn't only Jackson's party though. When Jackson was president, his opponents persuaded the Second Bank of the United States' president Nicholas Biddle to seek an early extension of the bank's charter. They hoped that Jackson would veto the the bill which would split the Democrats right before the 1832 election.

In both of these situations it seems as though the opposition is wanting these government tariffs and bills only for their own good. It seems like Congress was just trying to trick the president into screwing up so one of them could be the next president. And as president, Jackson increased the president's authority and created a spoils system where he appointed his close supporters to high office positions. These actions led to the rise of another political party called the Whigs. Their goal was to put men of ability, talent, and wealth in political power. The Democrats and Whigs battled to office positions fiercely the next couple decades. Do you think you would have been a Democrat, Whig, or neither? Although both parties claimed to speak "for the people" did either actually do that at all?